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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Daylight saving time ends this Sunday, and the American Red Cross urges everyone to test their smoke alarms when turning back their clocks.

As the fall season ushers in cold weather, it also increases the risk of deadly home fires. That’s because heating equipment is the second most common cause of fatalities from home fires – which, on average, take seven lives every day in the U.S., according to the National Fire Protection Association. But working smoke alarms can double a person’s odds of survival.

“The Red Cross wants everyone to stay safe this winter,” said Trevor Riggen, CEO, American Red Cross Northern California Coastal Region. “This weekend, please take time to ‘turn and test’ to protect you and your family against the season’s life-threatening risk of home fires.” Learn more in this video.

Every eight minutes, the Red Cross responds a disaster – most often, home fires. Last year, the Northern California Coastal Region volunteers have responded to nearly 800 home fires, assisting more than 4,500 families.

This weekend, the Red Cross asks everyone to take these simple steps:

– Check smoke alarm batteries. When turning the clocks back, take a few minutes to replace the smoke alarm batteries if needed and push the test button to make sure the alarms are working. It’s also a great time to check carbon monoxide detectors.

– Install smoke alarms. If you don’t have working smoke alarms, install them. At a minimum, put one on every level of the home, inside bedrooms and outside sleeping areas. Check local building codes for additional requirements.

– Practice an escape plan. Make sure everyone in the household knows two ways to get out of every room and how to get out of the home in less than two minutes.

Home Fire Campaign saves lives

Through the national Home Fire Campaign, the American Red Cross works with community partners to reduce deaths and injuries from home fires, which take more lives each year than all other natural disasters combined in the U.S. In high-risk neighborhoods here in Northern California and across the country, Red Cross volunteers and partners go door-to-door year-round to install free smoke alarms and help residents create home fire escape plans.

Since the campaign began in 2014, the American Red Cross Northern California Coastal Region has reached more than 20,000 people in across Northern California by:

– Installing more than 20,000 smoke alarms;
– Replacing nearly 1,000 smoke alarm batteries;
– Helping families make more than 6,500 home fire escape plans;
– Reaching more than 14,000 children through youth preparedness programs.

People can visit www.redcross.org/homefires to learn more about how to protect themselves and their loved ones, or visit www.soundthealarm.org/norcalcoastal to find out about smoke alarm installation events in their community.

People can also help families in need by volunteering their time or making a donation today to Red Cross Disaster Relief by visiting www.redcross.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS or texting REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

Donations to Disaster Relief will be used to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small.

After nine years in deep space collecting data that indicate our sky to be filled with billions of hidden planets – more planets even than stars – NASA’s Kepler space telescope has run out of fuel needed for further science operations.

NASA has decided to retire the spacecraft within its current, safe orbit, away from Earth.

Kepler leaves a legacy of more than 2,600 planet discoveries from outside our solar system, many of which could be promising places for life.

"As NASA's first planet-hunting mission, Kepler has wildly exceeded all our expectations and paved the way for our exploration and search for life in the solar system and beyond," said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. "Not only did it show us how many planets could be out there, it sparked an entirely new and robust field of research that has taken the science community by storm. Its discoveries have shed a new light on our place in the universe, and illuminated the tantalizing mysteries and possibilities among the stars.”

Kepler has opened our eyes to the diversity of planets that exist in our galaxy. The most recent analysis of Kepler’s discoveries concludes that 20 to 50 percent of the stars visible in the night sky are likely to have small, possibly rocky, planets similar in size to Earth, and located within the habitable zone of their parent stars.

That means they’re located at distances from their parent stars where liquid water – a vital ingredient to life as we know it – might pool on the planet surface.

The most common size of planet Kepler found doesn’t exist in our solar system – a world between the size of Earth and Neptune – and we have much to learn about these planets.

Kepler also found nature often produces jam-packed planetary systems, in some cases with so many planets orbiting close to their parent stars that our own inner solar system looks sparse by comparison.

"When we started conceiving this mission 35 years ago we didn't know of a single planet outside our solar system," said the Kepler mission's founding principal investigator, William Borucki, now retired from NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley. "Now that we know planets are everywhere, Kepler has set us on a new course that's full of promise for future generations to explore our galaxy."

Launched on March 6, 2009, the Kepler space telescope combined cutting-edge techniques in measuring stellar brightness with the largest digital camera outfitted for outer space observations at that time.

Originally positioned to stare continuously at 150,000 stars in one star-studded patch of the sky in the constellation Cygnus, Kepler took the first survey of planets in our galaxy and became the agency's first mission to detect Earth-size planets in the habitable zones of their stars.

"The Kepler mission was based on a very innovative design. It was an extremely clever approach to doing this kind of science," said Leslie Livesay, director for astronomy and physics at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, who served as Kepler project manager during mission development. "There were definitely challenges, but Kepler had an extremely talented team of scientists and engineers who overcame them.”

Four years into the mission, after the primary mission objectives had been met, mechanical failures temporarily halted observations. The mission team was able to devise a fix, switching the spacecraft’s field of view roughly every three months.

This enabled an extended mission for the spacecraft, dubbed K2, which lasted as long as the first mission and bumped Kepler's count of surveyed stars up to more than 500,000.

The observation of so many stars has allowed scientists to better understand stellar behaviors and properties, which is critical information in studying the planets that orbit them.

New research into stars with Kepler data also is furthering other areas of astronomy, such as the history of our Milky Way galaxy and the beginning stages of exploding stars called supernovae that are used to study how fast the universe is expanding.

The data from the extended mission were also made available to the public and science community immediately, allowing discoveries to be made at an incredible pace and setting a high bar for other missions.

Scientists are expected to spend a decade or more in search of new discoveries in the treasure trove of data Kepler provided.

"We know the spacecraft's retirement isn't the end of Kepler's discoveries," said Jessie Dotson, Kepler's project scientist at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley. "I'm excited about the diverse discoveries that are yet to come from our data and how future missions will build upon Kepler's results."

Before retiring the spacecraft, scientists pushed Kepler to its full potential, successfully completing multiple observation campaigns and downloading valuable science data even after initial warnings of low fuel.

The latest data, from Campaign 19, will complement the data from NASA’s newest planet hunter, the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, launched in April.

TESS builds on Kepler's foundation with fresh batches of data in its search of planets orbiting some 200,000 of the brightest and nearest stars to the Earth, worlds that can later be explored for signs of life by missions, such as NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.

NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley manages the Kepler and K2 missions for NASA's Science Mission Directorate. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, managed Kepler mission development. Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corporation in Boulder, Colorado, operates the flight system with support from the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado in Boulder.

For more information about the Kepler mission, visit https://www.nasa.gov/kepler.

COBB, Calif. – In Lake County, most people know someone who has lost a home in a fire.

However, the other side of that loss is the positive impact of a successful rebuild.

The Guzman family of Cobb is the newest Lake County family to celebrate the completion of the rebuilding of their home.

Rogelio and Maria Guzman are very pleased to finally be back on their property and in a home they can call their own.

At the recent dedication of his new home, Mr. Guzman had tears in his eyes as he thanked those in attendance.

“We have been waiting for three years and now we feel like we have come back to life, we are very happy. God Bless all the volunteers and everyone involved,” he said.

Their home was completed with help from a CalHome loan with 0-percent interest and no payment necessary for 30 years.

Hope City provided construction volunteers to do the labor and Hammers For Hope provided the grant, administered by North Coast Opportunities, or NCO.

To rebuild a community, one home at a time, help from multiple sources is needed.

“Thanks to the expertise of Hope City and Hammers For Hope, collectively we are able to help survivors return home. This funding is available to many individuals. It doesn’t matter if you are building a manufactured home, or a traditional home. Even if you only need a partial loan to close a gap in financing, CalHome Loans can help Lake County rebuild,” said NCO Executive Director Patty Bruder.

The CalHome Loan Program is funded through the California Department of Housing and Community Development, or HCD.

The program targets low-to moderate-income households who owned or rented a home destroyed by the recent fires.

Approximately $1 million in CalHome loans are expected to be awarded to eligible borrowers in Lake County by the end of 2018.

Funds are still available to help other residents. Individuals who have lost their home to a wildfire are encouraged to apply.

“Nothing is more satisfying than seeing a family successfully return to their home that was once lost. Hammers For Hope remains committed to helping people rebuild their homes,” adds Hammers for Hope Board President Rob Brown. “We hope that others who are in need of housing will apply for CalHome loans and continue to rebuild.”

Funding is still available for 0-percent interest loans and no payment necessary for 30 years through the CalHome Loan Program and Hammers For Hope.

If you would like more information about CalHome Loans, and to see if you qualify, please call Jon Kennedy at 707-489-4647 or email him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

If you have lost your home to any of the recent fires, help is available, please contact Team Lake County case management and Peggy O’Day at 707-994-2910 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Veteran homelessness in Lake County, California and across the United States is continuing to decline according to a new national estimate released by U.S. Housing and Urban Development.

HUD’s Annual Homeless Assessment Report finds the total number of reported veterans experiencing homelessness in 2018 decreased 5.4 percent since last year, falling to nearly half of the number of homeless veterans reported in 2010.

In announcing the latest annual estimate, HUD Secretary Ben Carson and U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) Secretary Robert Wilkie noted that local communities are reporting reductions in the number of veterans in their shelter systems and on their streets.

Each year, thousands of local communities around the country conduct one-night ‘Point-in-Time’ estimates of the number of persons experiencing homelessness – in emergency shelters, transitional housing programs and in unsheltered locations.

This year’s estimate finds 37,878 veterans experienced homelessness in January 2018, compared to 40,020 reported in January 2017. HUD estimates among the total number of reported veterans experiencing homelessness in 2018, 23,312 veterans were found in sheltered settings while volunteers counted 14,566 veterans living in places not meant for human habitation.

HUD also reports a nearly 10 percent decline among female veterans experiencing homelessness. In January 2018, local communities reported 3,219 homeless female veterans compared to 3,571 one year earlier.

The report shows that Lake County has seen a 47.8-percent drop in homeless veterans in 2018 compared to 2017. The number of homeless veterans in 2018 was put at 12, compared to 23 in 2017.

Neighboring Mendocino County has seen a 50-percent drop and California a 5.2-percent drop in homeless veterans, the report showed.

“We owe it to our veterans to make certain they have a place to call home,” said HUD Secretary Carson. “We’ve made great strides in our efforts to end veteran homelessness, but we still have a lot of work to do to ensure those who wore our nation’s uniform have access to stable housing.”

“The reduction in homelessness among veterans announced today shows that the strategies we are using to help the most vulnerable veterans become stably housed are working,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “This is good news for all Veterans.”

“In Home, Together, the new federal strategic plan to prevent and end homelessness, we redouble our commitment to ending homelessness among Veterans and among all Americans,” said Matthew Doherty, executive director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness. “Working together at the federal, state and local level, we can and will continue to make progress until all Americans have a stable home from which they can pursue opportunity.”

Officials said the decrease in veteran homelessness can largely be attributed to the effectiveness of the HUD-VA Supportive Housing, or HUD-VASH, Program, which combines permanent HUD rental assistance with case management and clinical services provided by the VA.

HUD-VASH is complemented by a continuum of VA programs that use modern tools and technology to identify the most vulnerable Veterans and rapidly connect them to the appropriate interventions to become and remain stably housed.

Last year alone, more than 4,000 veterans, many experiencing chronic forms of homelessness, found permanent housing and critically needed support services through the HUD-VASH program.

An additional 50,000 veterans found permanent housing and supportive services through VA’s continuum of homeless programs.

To date, 64 local communities and three states have declared an effective end to veteran homelessness, creating systems to ensure that a veteran’s homelessness is rare, brief and one-time.

HUD and VA have a wide range of programs that prevent and end homelessness among veterans, including health care, housing solutions, job training and education. More information about VA’s homeless programs is available at www.VA.gov/homeless.

More information about HUD’s program is available here.

Veterans who are homeless or at imminent risk of becoming homeless should contact their local VA Medical Center and ask to speak to a homeless coordinator or call the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 1-877-4AID-VET.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Ten Lake County residents are facing prosecution after being cited by the state on suspicion of being unlicensed contractors.

Over the past three years, upwards of 2,000 homes have been destroyed in different parts of Lake County by no less than eight devastating wildfires.

A lot of attention has focused on protecting fire survivors from being victimized by unlicensed or unscrupulous contractors trying to take advantage of people during the rebuilding process.

But, that doesn’t mean folks not directly affected by wildfires should let down their guard when hiring someone for home improvement work. On October 23, 2018, the Contractors State License Board, or CSLB, partnered with the Lake County District Attorney’s Office to conduct an undercover sting operation targeting suspected unlicensed contractors near the fire zones.

During the one-day operation, in a home near Copsey Creek, CSLB investigators invited suspected unlicensed contractors to provide bids for home improvement jobs ranging from painting, tree removal or trimming, to building a deck.

Ten people showed-up and provided undercover investigators bids that ranged from $800 to $4,000, well in excess of the $500 threshold (labor and/or materials) above which a state-issued contractor license is necessary.

As a result, these suspects were cited and could be charged with a misdemeanor count of contracting without a license (Business and Professions Code (BPC) section 7028). The penalty for a first-conviction includes up to six months in jail and/or up to $5,000 in fines.

Five of the suspects may also face a misdemeanor charge for illegal advertising (BPC §7027.1). Unlicensed contractors can only advertise if the ad states that they are not a state-licensed contractor, and the type of jobs advertised for are worth less than $500.

Those cited are:

– Jorge Manuel Vieira Sr., Clearlake; license classification – painting and decorating contractor; charge, contracting without a license;

– Jose Angel Gonzalez-Castro, Nice; license classification – tree service contractor; charges, contracting without a license, illegal advertising;

– Salvador Estrada, Upper Lake; license classification – tree service contractor; charges, contracting without a license, illegal advertising;

– Elijah Wesley Forrey, Clearlake; license classification – tree service contractor; charge, contracting without a license.

– Dave Edward Elliston Sr., Upper Lake; license classification – painting and decorating contractor; charge, contracting without a license.

– Ronald Dean Ridley Sr., Clearlake Oaks; license classification – painting and decorating contractor; charge, contracting without a license.

– Shane Lee Boyd, Nice; license classification – tree service contractor; charge, contracting without a license.

– Jesus Tecpoyot Pantaleon, Finley; license classification – siding and decking contractor; charges, contracting without a license, illegal advertising.

– Ronny Raymond Waddell, Lakeport; license classification – painting and decorating contractor; charges, contracting without a license, illegal advertising.

– Robert John Rudolph, Kelseyville; license classification – siding and decking contractor; charges, contracting without a license, illegal advertising.

“Consumers should be sure to take some simple steps before hiring anyone to work in or around their home,” said CSLB Registrar David Fogt. “The fastest way is to make sure they have a state license, and to check the license status using CSLB’s Instant License Check. Homeowners should also use CSLB’s Find My Licensed Contractor feature to download and/or print a list of qualified licensed contractors in their area."

CSLB will now forward the cases to the Lake County District Attorney’s Office with a recommendation for the criminal filings listed below.

All suspects were ordered to appear in court on Tuesday, Dec. 11, at 8:15 a.m. at the Lake County Superior Court, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.

All suspects are presumed innocent until their individual case is resolved.

CSLB conducts an average of one sting each week around the state to protect consumers, help level the playing field for legitimate contractors, and to curb the underground economy. Visit CSLB’s Web site for more tips on how to hire a licensed contractor.

The Contractors State License Board operates under the umbrella of the California Department of Consumer Affairs. CSLB licenses and regulates over 280,000 contractors in California and is regarded as one of the leading consumer protection agencies in the United States. In fiscal year 2017-18, CSLB helped recover more than $50 million in ordered restitution for consumers.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Library now offers Creativebug, a new free digital resource that lets library patrons use their library cards to access classes in sewing, quilting, art and design, jewelry, cooking, music and more.

Creativebug’s video library has more than 1,000 high quality online art and craft classes and adds new classes every day.

The Creativebug access is located on the library Web site, http://library.lakecountyca.gov, under “Resources.”

You can watch classes on Creativebug anytime, anywhere, in the library, on your home computer or on a phone or tablet.

Once you sign up for a free Creativebug account with your library card you can view or review any class as often as you like.

You can download or print out the patterns, instructions and recipes that accompany the classes.

Classes range from a few minutes in length to about an hour.

Creatirvebug offers many classes for both beginning and advanced crafters and artists. In the art and design category alone beginners can find an abundance of choices.

Budding artists can have fun with the “Creative Boot Camp: 6 Exercises to Spark Artistic Discovery” in easy painting, drawing, and collage projects. The “Daily Drawing Challenge” guides students through drawing patterns with brush tip pens. Other beginning art classes cover composition, perspective and creative doodling.

Creativebug seeks out the best, most engaging teachers for their classes. Their expert instructors have been featured in Vogue, Martha Stewart Living, O Magazine and other publications.

Funding for Creativebug comes from a grant through a pilot program from the California State Library and the Center for Childhood Creativity at the Bay Area Discovery Museum.

The Lake County Library is one of 10 libraries across California that have received grants to create community-driven makerspaces through this program.

Jan Cook is a library technician with the Lake County Library.